110 :Dire£trons far a well ;grounded Faith. will fall upon; or that rho people may be afraid to h•ar them ld\ they fulfer with them ; or may come ro them only as NiccdmzJU did to Chrift, by night. 1· 53· 9· Or if any Mini!lers, or Godly petfons warn the finner, the Devil will do what he can that they may be fo jm.1U a mtmber in comparifon of thofe of the conuary mind: that he may ttll the finner, Doft thou thi11k thcfe few felf-conceitt:d fellows are wifer than fuch, and fuch, and all the country? Shall none be fav..:d but fi.tch a few precife ones? Doany of the R11ler1 or of the Pharifes be~ licve in him? BHt thi1 ptople that k,_not4'cth not the Law are cu)fed, John 7· 48 1 49· That is (as Dr. H.ammund noteth) ·1'hif iUiterate multitude are apt to be ftduccd, but the 1.rachers are1vi[ir. §. 54· ro. The D..-:vil doth his worfi to caufe feme falling out, or differcn~c of interell or opinion bctwc:en tht I'reacrw· OIIlVlowitor, and the finner; that fo he may take him tor hif Eaemy: And hov.! unapt men are to receive any advife from an E11emy or Advcrfary, experience will eafily convfltcc you. 9· 55· 1 r. He endeavoureth that powerful preaching may be fo rare, and the contratliction of wicked cavcllt:rs fo jTrqttcnt , that the Sermon may be forgotten or the impreffions of it blotred out before they.'can hear another t0 con·tirm them, and firikc the nail home to the head ; and rhar th~ fire may go ourbefore r;hc ru::xt opportunity come. · 9· 56. 12· H, labou.eth- <o keepogood book.f out of .the finnershands, or keep him from reading them, left he fpeed as the Eunuch, AIJ.s 8. that was readtng the Scnpture as he rode m h1s Chariot on the waJ. And inllead of fuch books he putrcth Romances and Play-books, and triflino, orfcorning contradiCting wrningsinto his bands. 0 , 9· 57· >3· He doth what he can to ktep tfte finncr from intimate acquaintance with any that are truly God!)·, that he may know them no otherwife thanby the image which ignorant or malicious flan· derers or fcorners, do give of fuch: And that he may know Religio;z it folf but by hear.{dy, and never fee 1t exemplified in any holy diligwt believers. A holy Chriftian is a living image of God, apowerful convincer and teacher of the ungodly : :And the nearer men come w them, the greater exce-11ency they will fee, and the greater d!icacy they will feel. Whereas in the Devils army, the mrjl mu£\ not be ften in the open light, and the Hypocrite himfelf mull be feen, like a picture, but by a lide-light and not by a dirtct. 9. sS. '4· Thofe means which are ufed, the DLvillabours to frufirate, I. By fiuggifi1 heedlefnefs and difrcgard, 2· By prejudice, and falfe op'nions which prepolfefs the mind, 3• By- diverfiom of many forts, 4· By pre-ingagements to a contrary intereft and ·way ; fo that Chrifi comes to la~ fot them. 5· By worldly profpcrity and delights. 6. By ill company. ' 7· And by moleliing,' and £righting the finner whtn he doth but take up any purpofe to be converted : Giving him all content and q~ietnefs in firt, and raifing fiorms and terrors in his foul, when he is about to turn. 'tbt Methods of Cbrift again}! tht 'tempter. ~- 59· Before I proceed to S>tans perticular Temptations, I willtbew you the contrary Methods of Chrift in the conduct of bi< Army and oppofing Satan. I. Chri£\s End, are ultimately, the Glory and Pleafing of his Father, and himfelf, and the faviDg of his Church; and the de£\roying the Kingdom of rhe Devil; and next the purifying his peculiar people, and calling home all that are ordained to eternal life. · §. 6o. But more particularly he looketh principally at the />tart to plant there. I· Holy Knowledge. 2.Faith. 3· Godlynefs or holy devotednds to God and Love to him above aB. 4· Thank– fulneis. 5· Obedience. 6. Humility. 7· Hcavenly-mindedncfs. S. Love to others. 9• Self-denial and Mortitication, and contentment. to.. Patiehce. And in all thefe, r. fincerity, 2· tendernefs,of heart, 3· zeal, and holy f\rength and refolution. And withal to make us actually ferviceable, and di· )igcnt in our mafiers work, for our own and others f.~.lvation. 9· 6r. I I. Chrifis order in working is direll, and not baclzward as the Devils is : He fir£\ revealed} faving trnth to the underjranding, and alfecteth the wiY by 01ewing the Goodm{l of the things revealed : And thefe employ the 'tbouglm, and P•ffionJ, and Senji1, and the whole body, reducing the infcri· our faculties to obedience, and calling out by degrees thofe images which had deceived and prcpof– fdfedthem. §. 62. The matter which Chrifi prefenteth to the Soul, is I. Ctrt>in 'trutb from the Father of Lighu, fet upagainfi the Prince and Kingdom of darknefs, ignorance, error, and deceit. 2· Spiri– tual and tverlajling Good, even God himfilf to be jie11, and Loved, and Enjoyed for ever, againfi the Tempters temporal, corparal and feeming good. Cbrijfs Kingdom and work are advanced by Light: He is for the promoting of all ufeful lznowledge: and therefore for clear and convincing Preaching; for reading the Scriptures in a known tongue, and meditating in them day and night> and for exhot~ ting one anorher daily ; which Satan is againfl. j5. 63. I I I. The MeanJ by which he worketh againll Satan, are fuch as thefe. I. Sometime he maketh ufe of the very temper ofthe body as a preparative ; and (being Lord of all ) hegiveth ~ICh a lrmperature as will be melt ferviceable to the foul : As a fober, deliberate, meek, quiet and pau– ent difpofition. But flnwime he honoureth his Grace by the conquel\ of !uch fins ; as even bodily tlifPofilion cloth entertain and cherifi>.
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